Papua New Guinea Regulatory Quality
Regulatory Quality RQ.EST
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality was -0.76 in 2025, ranked 155th globally. This represents a 17.5% decrease from 2024. Data from World Bank WGI, covering 1996–2025.
Overview
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality stood at -0.76 in 2025, a decline of +0.11 from 2023. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach -0.76 by 2025. Papua New Guinea ranked 155th globally.
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality has exhibited a declining trend over the past 26 years, with the latest score standing at -0.76 in 2025. This ranking places the country at 155 globally, with Cambodia and Suriname being its closest peers at -0.75 and -0.77 respectively. The country's regulatory environment has faced challenges since 2005, when it hit its all-time low of -0.99, marking a significant setback in governance. Although Papua New Guinea did experience a brief improvement in 2000, when it peaked at -0.33, this progress was short-lived. Since then, the country's regulatory quality has continued to deteriorate, with a score that is now more than 0.5 points below its peak. A return to the country's peak regulatory quality score would require significant improvements in governance and the rule of law, which could be achieved through sustained investment in institutional capacity and effective policy implementation.
Data & projection
| Year | Regulatory Quality | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026* trend | -0.77 | - | - |
| 2025* trend | -0.76 | - | - |
| 2025 | -0.76 | −0.11 | #155 |
| 2023 | -0.64 | +0.04 | #146 |
| 2022 | -0.68 | +0.15 | #149 |
| 2021 | -0.83 | −0.15 | #160 |
| 2020 | -0.68 | −0.14 | #148 |
| 2019 | -0.54 | −0.01 | #138 |
| 2018 | -0.53 | +0.14 | #137 |
| 2017 | -0.67 | −0.10 | #146 |
| 2016 | -0.57 | +0.00 | #141 |
| 2015 | -0.57 | −0.21 | #139 |
| 2014 | -0.35 | +0.17 | #121 |
| 2013 | -0.52 | +0.00 | #135 |
| 2012 | -0.52 | +0.00 | #136 |
| 2011 | -0.53 | +0.04 | #135 |
| 2010 | -0.57 | +0.01 | #138 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Papua New Guinea matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 2022. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw regulatory quality improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality was -0.76 in 2025. Ranked 155th globally. This represents a 17.5% decrease from the previous year.
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality peaked at -0.33 in 2000.
The lowest regulatory quality in Papua New Guinea was -0.99 in 2005.
Papua New Guinea ranks 155th globally in regulatory quality as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is RQ.EST. Data sourced from World Bank WGI.
Papua New Guinea's regulatory quality is projected to reach -0.76 by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The regulatory quality of Papua New Guinea in 2025 was -0.76. This ranks 155th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_papua-new-guinea_regulatory-quality,
title = {Papua New Guinea Regulatory Quality},
url = {https://historysaid.com/papua-new-guinea/regulatory-quality/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}